Trump Criticizes Century-Old Senate Blue Slip Tradition Amid Nominee Disputes

President Donald Trump is intensifying his criticism of the Senate's century-old blue slip tradition, which allows home-state senators to block federal judicial and U.S. attorney nominees. Trump argues this custom is outdated, unconstitutional, and prevents him from appointing his preferred judges and prosecutors in states with Democratic senators, threatening to file a lawsuit against the practice. Senate Republicans, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Majority Leader John Thune, defend the blue slip process, noting its historical use to their advantage when Democrats held the presidency and warning against its removal as it could enable partisan judicial appointments. The dispute was heightened after Democratic senators blocked Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney in New Jersey, Alina Habba, who was later ruled to have been unlawfully serving without Senate confirmation. Despite Trump's pressure campaign and public attacks, including on Grassley, the blue slip remains a Senate tradition rather than a formal rule or law, making legal challenges unlikely to succeed. The ongoing conflict underscores broader tensions over judicial appointments and Senate norms in the current political landscape.